From 3-7 April State Secretary of Health, Welfare & Sports, drs. M.J. van Rijn led an economic trade mission to de United Arab Emirates (UAE). The visit included a recent trend of intensifying and broadening political, economic and high-level contacts with UAE.
Among other things, the Ministers of Economic Affairs (2013 and 2014), Foreign Affairs (2013), Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation (2015) and Defense (2015) visited the UAE in recent years. Additionally, the Ministry of VWS has recently invested in relations with the United Arab Emirates. For example, in launch of this mission the Director General Curative Care visited the Arab Health in Dubai in January 2017, the largest healthcare trade fair in the Middle East.
UAE is regarded as one of the priority countries of the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (LSH). Therefore, the ambition of this mission was to match the challenges and innovations that the UAE has to face in terms of health (care) and to offer collective solutions and cooperation. The Dutch LSH sector is positioned as the partner for broader social issues, such as the approach and possible prevention of welfare diseases (specific obesity and diabetes) and healthcare governance. The UAE showed great interest in the Dutch LSH sector and the way in which health care is organised in the Netherlands.
The Dutch delegation consisted of 30 companies and institutions. The vast majority of participants were SMEs who had no experience in doing business in the UAE. The overall programme consisted of seminars, visits, matchmaking and networking events with Emirati, representatives of local businesses, government and research institutions. Among other things, the delegation met with the Minister of Health and Prevention, the Director General of the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Community Development and representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office. Areas of interest include: primary care, chronic diseases, innovative solutions, training and training (e.g. emiration of the staff) and opportunities for medical tourism.
The mission made a solid contribution to the bilateral relations and the positioning of Dutch businesses. The Dutch delegation showed enthusiasm about the possibilities and has made useful contacts. Both the participating Dutch, as well as, the Emirati organisations offered many opportunities for cooperation.
